From the Top
by AStandardName
Summary: Another alternate start to X-Men (2000). Logan/Marie.


**From the Top**

* * *

Marie chastised herself for the third time in as many minutes as she bounced around in the back of the Wolverines camper. ' _So what he's a mutant, it doesn't make you family'_ she scolded herself. The camper ran over another bump and she rolled her eyes in irritation as the oppressively attractive man continued driving like a madman. ' _Admit it, you only climbed in his camper because of all his muscles'_.

The young mutant shook her head, trying to silence her inner voice as she felt the camper skid slightly on the icy road. ' _You think a man that looks like that would ever want an untouchable girl like you?'_ her inner voice asked. The longer she spent back here the more Marie made herself feel foolish for stowing away in the Wolverines camper. _'Even if he did have a thing for little girls, you'd kill him before he could fulfil even one of your sordid little fantasies'_.

The camper pulled over to the side of the road, and Marie heard the crunching of snow as the Wolverine stalked around to the back door. _'Hey maybe if you're lucky, he gives out pity fucks to scared girls on the side of the road'_.

* * *

"When they come out, does it hurt?" asked Marie.

"Every time" replied Logan honestly. He glanced over at the small bundle sitting in his passenger seat and cursed his luck. _'Of course the girl from the fight would pick my camper to hitch a ride'_ he thought bitterly. As he drove Logan's mind went back to the fight. _'Shit, shouldn'ta got carried away back there'_ he thought as he remembered the redneck assholes ambushing him at the end of the night _'Should've stuck to the plan and slow-played em'_.

Logan shook his head trying to chase away the memories of how the overpowering scent of a female made him want to show off, made him want to prove he was King of the Cage. _'You're one sick son of a bitch, getting all riled up over a kid'_. Taking up his cigar again Logan took in a deep lungful of smoke to chase away the pleasant scent of the girl next to him.

"So what kind of a name is Rogue" asked Logan.

"I dunno, what kind of a name is Wolverine?" she retorted

"My names Logan".

"Marie".

* * *

"Sorry kid, they only had a twin" said Logan shrugging as he walked back to where Marie stood by the camper rubbing her arms for warmth.

"That's fine" she said with a soft southern twang as she smiled shyly up at the man who had given her a ride and was now paying for their motel room. A night out of the cold and a hot shower had Marie practically bursting for joy. Marie watched as Wolverine – Logan walked around to the back of the camper and grabbed a duffle bag out of the back.

"C'mon kid" said Logan nodding in the direction of their room.

The unlikely pair made their way across the snowy car park to the indicated room. Logan fumbled about for a moment unlocking the door before entering the room and flicking on the light. The feral mutant took in a deep inhale, scenting the room. Seeming to decide the room wasn't too dingy he crossed the room in two quick strides and dropped his duffle on top of one of the single beds.

"You gonna be okay kid?" asked Logan, looking at the somewhat uncomfortable looking teenager standing awkwardly in the doorway.

"Yeah, just... small room" said Marie looking around the cramped motel room, feeling self conscious of her poisonous skin.

"Look if you want, I can sleep in the camper—"

"No it's fine. Really" interrupted Marie as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. _'Good job, now you're alone in a motel room with the object of your sex fantasies, and you still have poisonous skin'_ taunted her inner voice. "Would it be okay if I used the shower first?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure kid" said Logan relaxing back onto his bed as he looked around the room for the remote to the television.

Resisting the urge to skip, Marie swiftly moved across the room to the bathroom and closed the door as she heard the television flick on in the main room. Marie looked around the small dirty bathroom, and a heart-melting smile crossed her face. Making sure the door was locked; she quickly stripped out of her clothes and got into the shower stall and turned the hot water on full. As she stood under the scalding water, letting the bone-chill slowly leave her Marie contemplated the man in the other room; Logan.

Once she realised he seemed to smile when she sassed him, she could barely stop herself. _'The guy beat ten kinds of hell outta that redneck and you tell him to put his seatbelt on?'_

Marie took one of the free motel room soaps and began cleaning herself for the first time in several days, as she wondered what Logan would want in return for his kindness. _'Maybe he'll bend you over the bed and fuck you until you can't walk'_ her inner voice suggested helpfully. Marie rolled her eyes as she felt herself getting carried away with fantasy. ' _There is no way a man like that would want you, even if you weren't untouchable'_.

* * *

As the shower ran in the other room Logan flipped through the channels on the television in rapid succession, unable to find anything of interest. _'That's coz you won't stop thinking about the kid in the next room you sick bastard'_ his mind supplied. Logan shook his head and settled on watching a hockey rerun as he tried to force the uncomfortable thoughts about the naked probably underage girl in the other room. _'She smelled good, so what?'_

Logan let his claws slide free on his right hand as he tried to banish the naked images of the girl he'd given a ride to. A smile spread across his face as he remembered the way the girl kept sassing him, kept needling him as they drove and he found himself asking her where she was heading. He even found himself offering to put her up in a motel room when the snow storm was getting to tough to drive in. _'Admit it bub, if it weren't for her skin thing, you'd be itching to get in that shower with her'_ his traitorous mind said. Logan retracted the three metal claws as he kicked off his boots and nudged his duffle carelessly off the bed. She's just a kid, he kept telling himself. _'Like that would stop you if you wanted her'_.

* * *

Marie startled awake, disorientated her fear spiked as she tried to figure out where she was. Quickly her mind flooded with memories, the cage, Logan, the motel room. As she made to roll over and try returning to sleep Marie heard a weak mutter off to the side. In the darkness she could make out Logan's sleeping form as he twitched and shook in his sleep. Her heart stopped as she heard Logan give a terrified whimper.

She slipped out of bed, wearing nothing but her pyjamas and gloves as she inched over to Logan's bed. The streetlights streaming in through the curtains illuminated his sweat-covered face.

"Logan?" whisper Marie uncertainly as she tried to recall what one should do when someone's having a nightmare. "Logan?" she said again, slightly louder this time as she kneeled down on the side of the bed. Logan was muttering as shaking his head side to side as Marie reached out a gloved hand to touch his shoulder.

The instant her hand made contact, Logan sprung up from the mattress. Acting on pure adrenaline and instinct Logan let his claws spring free and drove them deep into Marie's abdomen as she tried to recoil back.

"No" breathed Logan as his awareness returned to him and he pulled his claws free. He quickly sheathed his claws and held Marie as she flopped limply into his arms, blood pooling over the sheets.

"Loga..." mumbled Marie, as a dull echoing pain spread across her belly, along with a warm damp feeling. _'Oh god, I'm sorry Logan'_ she thought weakly as Logan ran his hands over her paling face in terror.

* * *

As Logan cracked a bleary eye, he glanced around the sunlit room. He tried to move, only to find his limbs were still too weak. Quickly his mind filled with the night previous.

"Marie" croaked out Logan as he looked frantically around the room.

"I'm here" whispered Marie, as she sat on her bed, with her knees tucked under her chin. Logan breathed a relieved sigh and let his head drop back to the pillows. "I'm sorry" muttered Marie weakly.

"You're sorry?" said Logan in disbelief, "kid I fucking skewered you".

"You were dead" said Marie, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. "I could hear your heart stop. It stopped for like five minutes".

"Shit darlin', I thought I killed you".

"Please don't hate me" said Marie weakly as she uncurled herself and edged off of her bed.

"It's okay kid, really" answered Logan, feeling bad for upsetting the girl so much. "But how the hell are you alive?"

"I... I don't know" said Marie, "when you touched me, I just... healed". Marie moved slowly, inch by inch across the distance between the two beds, as if giving Logan time to tell her to back off. Slowly she dropped to her knees on the side of Logan's bed and looked down at the man who had somehow saved her. "It's your mutation. Somehow I used it".

"Thank fuck for that" said Logan, pulling her down in an awkward hug as he tried to avoid her skin. "Didn't mean to scare ya kid".

"I know".

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the nightmare-stabbing incident and Logan and Marie continued driving east in the camper. Despite it being a horrible night, something about almost killing each other, seemed to make the pair unwilling to separate.

' _Yeah that, and now you know Logan thinks you have awesome tits'_ said Marie's inner voice as she sat in the passenger seat of the camper, watching the object of her lust. _"And he can smell how wet you're getting'_ the voice added. Marie continued tracing her eyes over Logan's profile. Her eyes roamed over his sideburns, his strong unbreakable jaw and over his lips.

"Got a fight tonight kid" said Logan ashing his cigar into an empty drink cup. "You be okay alone?"

"Actually" hedged Marie, her mind filling with her sordid fantasies once more, "I was wondering if I could come too?"

"Shit, you saw how well that went last time" grumbled Logan; already knowing her was going to let her come if she pressed the point.

' _Yeah, because you were busy getting all hot for me'_ thought Marie, smiling.

"I'll stay out of the way, I promise" she said, drawing out her southern accent in a way she knew Logan liked.

"Yeah, okay kid" said Logan sighing in acceptance. "Just no making trouble this time".

"I promise" said Marie quickly as a smile bloomed across her face. Silence filled the cab of the camper as Marie let Logan's memories from that eventful night wash over her. She let the images of her in her green overcoat in that dark smoky bar roll through her mind. The pleasant scent that Logan picked up as he turned to look at the female who caught his interest.

Marie pressed her thighs together tightly at the knowledge that Logan considered her desirable. Even with a glimpse of only the past day before she absorbed him, Marie could tell Logan had a soft spot for her.

"You okay kid?" asked Logan breaking the silence.

"Yeah, just... still getting used to the smells and stuff" lied Marie, referring to her borrowed powers.

"Told ya, just focus on one thing a time" recited Logan, "let everything else blend into the background".

* * *

The cage fighting ended up mostly straightforward. Or as straightforward as watching a sex-god of a man get sweaty and fight other men in cage can be, thought Marie wryly as she sat on her bed watching television. Through the bathroom door she could hear Logan showering off after the fight. _'Maybe he could wear a condom while you blow him?'_ suggested her inner voice, becoming more and more graphic with each passing day.

In the bathroom Logan shut off the shower and towelled himself off before putting on his jeans once more. As the bathroom door swung open as Logan paraded across her vision, his chest on full display, Marie felt her heart beat skyrocket. _'God damn you sure can pick em girl'_.

"What ya watchin'?" asked Logan as he dropped down onto his bed. For a moment, Marie forgot there was a television in the room as her eyes went about tracing Logan's chest muscles.

"Huh? Oh, some comedy thing" answered Marie absently, as the television began to contradict her by playing some cop drama. An amused smirk crossed Logan's face as Marie shamelessly kept her eyes on his exposed chest.

"You're gonna have to stop doing that kid" said Logan sighing.

"Stop what?"

"You know what" answered Logan, looking meaningfully into Marie's big brown eyes.

"No, I don't know" retorted Marie, her accent becoming more pronounced.

"You gotta stop looking at me like I'm food and you ain't eaten in a couple'a days" said Logan eventually. Marie felt her cheeks flush slightly.

"Oh" she mumbled. An uncomfortable silence filled the room, punctuated by the musings of some cop on the television. "You know... I got some of your memories" said Marie, suddenly feeling brave.

"What?"

"It's a part of my skin or whatever, I get people's memories" explained Marie quietly. "Mostly recent memories and they usually go within a couple of days". Logan tilted his head and looked across the gap between the two single beds as Marie felt her heart racing. "So I know that you don't mean that".

"Marie..." he groaned wearily.

"Like, I remember you thinking how sexy I looked when I came outta the shower that first night" said Marie, biting back a giggle at the stricken look that crossed Logan's face.

"We ain't talking about this" grumbled Logan, turning to face the ceiling.

"I also know the reason you hammered that idiot in the cage was because you were trying to impress me" teased Marie, smiling widely.

"Kid, I ain't that I'd do that to you" said Logan, looking solemn.

"Why not sugar? If we're careful... I mean we could be creative" suggested Marie thinking of ways to overcome her deadly skin.

"Because you're still just a kid!"

"I'm seventeen Logan! I'm perfectly legal in Canada" spat Marie bitterly as she glared at the man that had awakened her dormant libido.

"Ain't just that kid, I'm all kinds'a fucked up" said Logan looking distant.

"Think I don't know that, I'm here each night you have a god damned nightmare aren't I?" shot back Marie. "I'm here wakin' you up and hushin' you back to sleep aren't I?" she demanded.

"You and how long before I fuck up again and fill you full of claws" snarled Logan.

"Well, as I still can't seem to stop fuckin' healing from everything, I don't give a good god damn!" bit back Marie, rising to her knees.

"Ain't the point darlin'" mumbled Logan looking sad, "you deserve better than some messed up bastard who'll cut you up in your sleep".

"An' maybe you deserve a woman who you could actually touch without dying for five minutes" said Marie equally despondent.

"Hell Marie, your skin don't bother me. It's all of me"

"Well, until you tell me you don't want me riding along with you anymore, I'm gonna keep lusting after you sugar" said Marie, trying to lighten the mood.

"Fair enough".

* * *

"Hey sugar? You got any painkillers?" asked Marie, looking across the camper cab at Logan.

"That a trick question?"

"Right... healing. Stupid question" muttered Marie, rubbing her forearm.

"Yeah" agreed Logan, smirking. "What do you want painkillers for anyway? I thought you had my healin' now".

"Still do" said Marie, "just got an ache in my arms, like growing cramps or something".

"We'll stop past a drugstore in the next town" said Logan easily, giving a comforting grin as Marie continued massaging her sore arms.

* * *

"Holy hell. What the fuck!" cried out Marie, running out of the bathroom.

"What is it?" said Logan bolting up from his place watching television in bed.

"This" shouted Marie holding up her hands, where six perfectly sculpted bone-claws sat protruding from between each knuckle. Logan stepped closer and momentarily forgot about her deadly skin as he reached out to grab her hands before she jerked back out of reach. "How do I make them go back in Logan?" she asked, slightly desperately.

Logan took in a deep breath looking over the bone-claws in both wonder and fear. _'Maybe that's how mine are meant to look. I mean she got the healing and the senses, maybe she got the claws too?'_

"Logan!" growled Marie.

"Oh, yeah. Uh, first clench your fists" said Logan, holding up his own fist and extending his metal claws. "Then around here" he continued, pointing towards a muscle in his forearm, "it should feel like a knotted muscle or something, just try to ease it off and they should slide back in".

Marie frowned, concentrating hard as the pain from the claws sticking out of her hands gnawed at her. She felt the tense knot of muscle Logan was referring to and was trying to focus on loosing it up. Slowly she felt the small knot ease up and the claws retracted back between her knuckles, dragging a pained gasp from her as they went.

"You okay darlin'?"

"Yeah, just hurt like hell" said Marie, as her stolen healing quickly numbed the pain. "How do I make them come out again?"

"Same thing, just in reverse" answered Logan simply as he stared at her hands, still in shock. Marie clenched her fist once more and felt the small bundle of muscle at the top of her forearm. She quickly snapped the muscle tight and the claws sprang out from between her knuckles menacingly. Despite the sharp pain in her hands, Marie smiled. Poisonous skin wasn't the only thing she had anymore.

* * *

"You remember what to do darlin'?" asked Logan, as he looked through the camper window at the fight bar they were parked outside of.

"Yeah sugar. Wait a couple a fights 'til you look tired, then bet big on you to win if the odds are good" recited Marie rolling her eyes. _'Like I don't know how to run a hustle'_ she thought smiling.

"Good girl" said Logan running has hand comfortingly over her hooded head. "Gimmie about ten minutes before you follow me in".

"I got it sugar, not the first time we've done this" soothed Marie as she ran her gloved hand up and down his bicep.

"I know..." he muttered, "and if anyone get—"

"Gets suspicious, drop the money and get out. I know" finished Marie chuckling. "Seriously, go before it's too late to get on the ticket" she said shooing him out of the cab. Logan rolled his eyes as he slid out of the driver's seat and swaggered into the fight bar. Marie glanced at the clock and put her feet up as she began to give Logan his ten minute head start. _'He still wants you'_ said her inner voice. _'It's why he's so overprotective'_.

Marie clenched her fist and let her bone-claws extend out slowly as she thought about the unopened bag of bodystockings sitting in her duffle. _'Be patient, he'll come around'._

* * *

Logan kicked closed the motel room door behind him as he ran his hands along Marie's clothed body. Unable to actually kiss her he nuzzled his face into the crown of her head, mercifully protected by her silky smooth hair.

"If I'd have known punching out some bar skank would get you this hot sugar, I'd have done it ages ago" moaned Marie as Logan's hands gripped possessively over her belly.

"Wasn't just that darlin'" muttered Logan, running his hands upwards, enjoying the feel and weight of her soft tits, even through layers of leather. "Liked seein' you mark your territory".

"Somthin' like this sugar?" asked Marie as she reached back and groped the growing bulge in his jeans, dragging a pleased rumbling growl from his chest.

"Just like that" he replied, grinding his hips forward into the palm of her hand.

"Mmm" murmured Marie approvingly as Logan continued fondling her tits, before sliding a hand downwards between her legs. "Keep goin' sugar" moaned Marie as his hand cupped over her mound. _'He's going to fuck your brains out tonight'_ cheered the voice in her head.

Logan took in a deep sniff of Marie's scent as he nuzzled his nose over her shoulder and up along her ear. His hand was busy between her legs, starting grinding and pressing into her, sending shivers up her spine with each touch. Marie felt like she could come from this alone, despite the thick layer of leather between her need and his hand. _'The bodystocking. The bed. All night'_ whispered the voice in her head.

"Wait sugar" gasped Marie just as the heel of his hand run over her bundle of nerves.

"Fuck Marie... I'm sorry I—"

"It's fine, I just... want to get something" said Marie unwinding herself from Logan's arms. Logan nodded in acceptance, still looking uneasy as Marie crossed the room to her bed where her duffel lay. She unzipped it and fished through until she pulled out the still wrapped bag of bodystockings and an economy sized box of condoms.

"Fuck Marie, how long were you planning this" said Logan smiling as he kicked off his boots and stepped across the room.

"Since we had the talk" she answered with a smile as she eagerly ripped through the packaging to get at the bodystockings.

"Economy size? Really?" asked Logan incredulously as he eyed the condom box. "Wait, how'd you know what size?"

"One part your memories, one part my fantasies" said Marie grinning as she kicked off her own boots and unzipped her jacket. "You really okay with this sugar?" she asked as she paused, her hands on the hem of her shirt.

"Yeah darlin'. Known you longer than anyone else I can remember" he said. "And you ain't definitely ain't a kid". _'Been saying that since you smelled her at the bar big guy'_ chimed in his inner voice.

Satisfied with his answer Marie, pulled her shirt up and over her head and threw it aside as she unzipped her jeans and shimmied them down her thighs, before kicking them aside. A grin spread across her face at the choking sound Logan made as he saw her in her underwear.

' _You've sneaked peeks before, don't act surprised that she's fucking phenomenal'_ his inner voice chastised.

A soft blush rolled up Marie's cheeks as she let Logan rake his eyes over her. She felt them, like heat as they rolled over her panty covered womanhood, before making their way upwards to the swells of her breasts.

"You're so perfect darlin'" muttered Logan distractedly as she went about unfolding the brand new bodystocking.

Feeling the need to be touchable, and quick, Marie hastily unclasped her bra and let it fall to the floor without ceremony. She smirked as Logan's eyes were glued to her tits as she went about dropping her slightly damp panties. _'He did think you had awesome tits'_ her inner voice reminded her.

"Fuck" growled out Logan, his hands itching to roam over Marie's soft luscious body. "Get that thing on now".

"Sure thing" drawled Marie as she stepped into the cream colored bodystocking and pulled it up past her hips. It was generic branded and was snug in a few places but with a bit of pulling eventually it zipped up, covering her like a second skin from the neck down. Marie plucked at the wrists of the stocking and tucked them inside her leather gloves as Logan efficiently removed his jeans and flannels.

"You're pretty perfect yourself sugar" said Marie licking her lips as she watched Logan drag his tank top over head, before throwing it aside. Marie took a moment to return the favor and drag her eyes over his muscled body, over his chest and down his abdomen to...

* * *

AN: Yeah... that's literally where past me left this story hanging. What an asshole.

Disclaimer: I am totally both Marvel and Fox...  
*whispering*  
My legal team has informed me I am not Marvel or Fox...  
*whispering*  
And I wish to make a public apology for claiming falsely that I was Marvel and Fox.


End file.
